The Choice: Follow the Parents or the Dream?

The Scenario: Is it time to fly free?

Check out the choices Laura Carpbell had.

Caleb Alvarado

1. Golden, Colorado - A Wild Card Move West ($2,200/month)

A lifelong winter-sports lover, Laura always thought it might be fun to live near the Rockies. “I’d never been to national parks or really taken in that cool mountain air, and I thought, If not now, when?” A one-bedroom rental in a condo community nestled against the foothills in Golden, a former gold rush town outside Denver and a magnet for action seekers, cost $2,200 a month.

Courtesy Laura Campbell

2. Delray Beach, Florida - A Future in Florida ($2,000/month)

Laura’s one-bedroom apartment rental, jumping to about $2,000 a month, had ocean breezes and access to appealing shops and cafés. It felt like a fresh beginning after living her entire life in the Northeast. She was already building a community: “Delray’s a beautiful place and sunny almost all the time!”

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3. Woodbridge, Connecticut - Home Is Where the Heart Is ($1,800/month)

Relocating to Connecticut would mean returning to friends she loves and continuing to be near her parents. With savings from an earlier home sale, Laura could afford to rent a lovely two-bedroom Connecticut beach house with a quaint porch.

Caleb Alvarado

Her pick: Option 1! Rocky Mountain, hi!

Golden, Colorado ($2,200/month)

“I couldn’t ignore my desire for adventure and the dream to be closer to nature,” Laura admits. “I knew I’d still be able to connect daily, through my laptop, with my parents and my kids, who all blessed the move. But I also knew it was time for me to indulge my soul. I’m ready for possibilities, open to love and eager to see what’s ahead personally and professionally. It feels beautiful!”